What do I do if a buyer is dragging his feet on a project

gteh · 07/23/2010, 14:15

Got a question and hoping someone can answer this for me.

I am new on SL and as everyone knows, it's tough to get started when you have no ratings. I've been lucky enough to grab a few jobs on here and completed them successfully and received 10 star ratings and bonuses.

After my first week, I took a job from someone (a small one for $20) that required me to receive a zip file with a number of websites, upload them to this persons web server, and modify some text. There are two phases for this project. Each phase consisted of a zip with different websites.

My bid was accepted, and for some reason, the buyer paid me $20 immediately through SL ( I did not ask him to), before giving me any work. He then sent me an email telling me that he would send me the ZIP files in a few days and once the job was complete, he'd pay additional money.

A few days passed and I received nothing. I emailed him to follow up and asked where the stuff was. He replied that he already sent it and posted it on the PMB, which he did not. I asked him to resend it.... he only sent me the text changes that needed to be made, but did not send the website files. A few days after that, he sent me the website files for Phase 2 only, but did not send the text changes.

he keeps emailing me asking where the completed work is and I have repeatedly told him that he has not sent everything necessary to complete the job. A simple solution would be to just send me everything in a single email and I would have the job completed in 2 hours.

So basically I had the required text changes for the first group of websites, but no website files to apply them to or upload, and I had website files for the 2nd group of websites, but no text changes.

This has been dragging on now for almost 2 weeks. I am more than ready and able to complete this project but can't without the files. I do not want this to result in a negative rating. I will even return the $20 he sent me.. I don't care about the money, the $20 means nothing, I care about my ratings on SL which will affect my ability to get future projects.

Should I just open a dispute case on SL or what?

thanks

nick2009 · 07/23/2010, 15:21

Personally I would just open a dispute case and get the project cancelled, it's really not worth all that agro as you said for the sake of $20.

ayumi · 07/23/2010, 20:50

Follow what Nick said, cancel the project.
How can you work without the files / required info ?

These types of buyers need to be given the boot. They create great risk for the programmers reputation with no fault from the programmers side.

Cancel it man. $20, no way in hell is it worth it.

Rafael · 07/24/2010, 11:20

Just evaluate this. Will $20 worth all your time talking with the buyer, posting the bid, creating this post and reading our replies

I don't think so, so best I can recommend you is open a dispute and cancel it.

Good Luck!

inet · 08/08/2010, 15:58

May be its some communication issue? He/She has been a nice buyer paying you $20 upfront. Why spoil the relationship? It would be best to write a message to him/her in PMB (and follow it up through email) that you have not received the zip files. He/She could use the scriptlance file system (send him/her step by step instructions to use it) to deposit the zip file so that you can download and start working on it. I know it may probably be not worth $20 but if I were you, I would not give it up so soon. How much time does it really take to write few messages in PMB ;-)?

07/23/2010, 14:15	#1
gteh Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 1	What do I do if a buyer is dragging his feet on a project Got a question and hoping someone can answer this for me. I am new on SL and as everyone knows, it's tough to get started when you have no ratings. I've been lucky enough to grab a few jobs on here and completed them successfully and received 10 star ratings and bonuses. After my first week, I took a job from someone (a small one for $20) that required me to receive a zip file with a number of websites, upload them to this persons web server, and modify some text. There are two phases for this project. Each phase consisted of a zip with different websites. My bid was accepted, and for some reason, the buyer paid me $20 immediately through SL ( I did not ask him to), before giving me any work. He then sent me an email telling me that he would send me the ZIP files in a few days and once the job was complete, he'd pay additional money. A few days passed and I received nothing. I emailed him to follow up and asked where the stuff was. He replied that he already sent it and posted it on the PMB, which he did not. I asked him to resend it.... he only sent me the text changes that needed to be made, but did not send the website files. A few days after that, he sent me the website files for Phase 2 only, but did not send the text changes. he keeps emailing me asking where the completed work is and I have repeatedly told him that he has not sent everything necessary to complete the job. A simple solution would be to just send me everything in a single email and I would have the job completed in 2 hours. So basically I had the required text changes for the first group of websites, but no website files to apply them to or upload, and I had website files for the 2nd group of websites, but no text changes. This has been dragging on now for almost 2 weeks. I am more than ready and able to complete this project but can't without the files. I do not want this to result in a negative rating. I will even return the $20 he sent me.. I don't care about the money, the $20 means nothing, I care about my ratings on SL which will affect my ability to get future projects. Should I just open a dispute case on SL or what? thanks

07/23/2010, 15:21	#2
nick2009 Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Posts: 61	Personally I would just open a dispute case and get the project cancelled, it's really not worth all that agro as you said for the sake of $20. __________________ SL Profile

07/23/2010, 20:50	#3
ayumi Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Land of the Rising Sun Posts: 329	Follow what Nick said, cancel the project. How can you work without the files / required info ? These types of buyers need to be given the boot. They create great risk for the programmers reputation with no fault from the programmers side. Cancel it man. $20, no way in hell is it worth it. __________________ On the Front Side "Amuro Rocks!"

07/24/2010, 11:20	#4
Rafael Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Nicaragua Posts: 43	Just evaluate this. Will $20 worth all your time talking with the buyer, posting the bid, creating this post and reading our replies I don't think so, so best I can recommend you is open a dispute and cancel it. Good Luck! __________________ Premium vBulletin Development My Profile in Scriptlance

08/08/2010, 15:58	#5
inet Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: /home Posts: 374	May be its some communication issue? He/She has been a nice buyer paying you $20 upfront. Why spoil the relationship? It would be best to write a message to him/her in PMB (and follow it up through email) that you have not received the zip files. He/She could use the scriptlance file system (send him/her step by step instructions to use it) to deposit the zip file so that you can download and start working on it. I know it may probably be not worth $20 but if I were you, I would not give it up so soon. How much time does it really take to write few messages in PMB ;-)? __________________ "The only thing necessary for evil to flourish is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

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